ARARRRRGH! How to keep a transparent object from reverting to opaque??

[Anonymous]

I am trying to follow along with an online tutorial for a small ornament piece in 3ds MAX 2014.  I am trying to set it up so the shape I am working on is transparent, so I can see my blueprint underneath...but the darn shape keeps slowly changing from transparent to opaque, and it is driving me absolutely insane.  What ridiculous, obscure setting am I missing??  I have selected the object and set it's property to "see-through.  The shape becomes see through, but the instant I click on OR off the shape, it slowly reverts back to being opaque.  WHYYY???

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Of course, I post and THEN figure it out...sorta.  I turned off "Progressive Display" and now I have stay-put transparency.  WHY that setting is overriding something as simply-defined as SEE-THROUGH is beyond me.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

Weirdly, I am unable to reproduce this with your file.  Still, I'm going to mark your own answer as the solution since it's working for you.  Both of your objects are occupying the exact same planar space on the 2d XY plane, so maybe that has something to do with it.  

One thing you might try in the future though is to use a standard material with opacity, it gives a much more controllable level of opacity when you do it that way.  (I use alt X for see through as well, but less often these days.)  Glad it's at least working for you though...

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Interesting...thanks for the tip, I will definitely keep that in mind.  I am working with the program on several different computers, and each one has different hardware capabilities, the machine that I was working on when I posted this question is not the most powerful machine I have available to me...plus, since I posted that last comment I have learned more about the program and gotten past a few more roadblocks, so I'll just have to be patient with myself as I learn more about the program.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

You have a good attitude.    If you ever need anything, you know where to find me.  

Best Regards,